SAINT JOHN A PLANNER-FOCUSED STRATEGY Saint John, NB, treats pre-arrival planning as a lever for longer stays and better delegate experiences. “There’s an opportunity in knowing that people are interested in coming earlier, staying later or planning another time to come visit,” says Jen Silliphant, director of destination marketing, Envision Saint John. The team shares visitor collateral in advance and tailors suggestions to the meeting planner through a request form that flags what’s needed—guides, brochures, maps or website links—so leisure time can be planned alongside the agenda. “I know that a lot of participants in sporting events bring their families to stay longer because it’s Atlantic Canada. They take advantage of having that time here by either doing day trips during the competition week, or they’ll arrive early or stay late,” says Lindsay Smith, sales manager, Envision Saint John. On-site, the destination tells operators when groups are in town “so that they’re prepared with extra staff or additional hours,” Silliphant explains, and it runs a delegate welcome program supported by Show Your Badge-style incentives. Experience It Like a Local: FOODIES • Uptown Saint John is a walkable tasting district with over 80 locally owned, culturally diverse bars and restaurants in a 10-block radius. • A National Historic Site, the Saint John City Market is a compact hub of vendors offering international and local flavours. HISTORY BUFFS • Self-guided walking tours highlight Saint John’s preserved heritage buildings and its “first incorporated city in Canada” story. • Scheduled to reopen in 2028, the revitalized New Brunswick Museum will offer curated exhibits spotlighting the people, landscapes and industries that shaped the province. WORK & WANDER REPORT BLEISURE NATURE + WELLNESS • Rockwood Park spans 2,200 acres with trails, lakes, wellness programming, an Aveda spa and gear rentals through Inside Out Nature Centre. • La Belle Cabane Healing Sanctuary offers an Indigenous-themed forest-spa reset with off-grid cabins, thermal-style pods and a salt room. CULTURE SEEKERS • First Nations Storytellers offers guided tours highlighted by Indigenous history and culture. • Area 506 Container Village and Ihtoli-maqahamok – The Gathering Space bring waterfront place-making to life through programming, patios, a stage for concerts and screenings and tidal steps to the water’s edge. COOL ACCOMMODATIONS • Chipman Hill Suites offers restored heritage suites in the uptown core, blending modern comfort with Victorian character. • Ridgeback Lodge pairs rustic cabin stays with glamping domes for a nature-forward overnight on the Kingston Peninsula. CONVENTION CREDS • Saint John Trade and Convention Centre: 23,454 sq. ft. of pillar-free meeting space • Summit Centre: The new 44,000-sq.-ft. multi-purpose facility opened in 2025 • 1,500+ hotel guestrooms in the destination • Hotel news: Delta Hotels by Marriott Saint John is planning meeting space and guestroom renovations. PHOTOS: ENVISION SAINT JOHN First Nations Story Tellers La Belle Cabane Area 506 Rockwood Park 64 | Ignitemag.ca | Spring 2026
